Dreamboat on Word: Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003 (On Office series)

Creative Uses for Tables

Tables can be very helpful for formatting a variety of commonplace objects. Be creative.

• You want to place four graphic objects evenly on a page.

  1. Insert a two-row, two-column table.

  2. Size the rows so that they take up the whole page. You can get an exact measurement without using points. Just type, for instance, 5" and Word converts it to points for you.

  3. Use paragraph alignment to have the graphics placed properly.

  4. The graphics need to be formatted as In Line With Text.

• You want to have signature lines at the bottom of every document, as for a contract or agreement.

  1. Insert a two-row, three-column table.

  2. Make the center column about a half-inch.

  3. Be sure the first and third columns are of equal width to each other.

  4. In the bottom row, type in the words “Signature” and “Date”, etc.

  5. Put a border only on the line between the rows and only on the first and third columns.

  6. To further automate the task, select this table and create an AutoText entry (see page 4-3).

• You want to create a form that is to be filled out by handwriting, such as a sign-in sheet.

  1. Create a one-row, one-column table.

  2. Select the row and make it 16 points high.

  3. Put a border on the bottom of the cell only.

  4. Hit Tab until the rows fill the page.

• You want to create a list in two- or three-columns.

  1. Create a two- or three-column table. Many people select a list and put it into a two- or threecolumn (not table) layout. This produces section breaks in a document, which can be confusing. Placing lists in a table produces much better results.